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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · ground · fall · season · spring · firm · rock · perch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — of water
  5. fall — the season
  6. firm — decided
  7. season — in sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spring — the season
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com